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View Full Version : Should Britain Become A Secular Country - Heartwarming Replies



AnyOldIron
10-27-2006, 07:58 AM
From the BBC Have Your Say section....

Question: Should Britain become a secular country....

Richard Dawkin's "The God Delusion" should be taught in every school and religion should be detatched from all functions of the state. There should be no state-funding nor charitable privilege for religious schools etc.

It is very high time that superstition and ignorance were swept from our society.

Ian Hawkins, Dorchester

Faith is something that cannot be taught, you either believe in something or you don't. Education has a role in teaching the functions and systems of the various religions to promote understanding, but indoctrinating children into a faith be it state or school based is innately biased and somewhat short-sighted. I am an atheist but I've taken the time to understand the practices of a number of faiths and feel easier amongst them because of it. That said they're fairly intolerant of each other.

Duncan, Hove

Northern Island had separate schools for Protestants and Catholics for years.

I would suggest that didn’t work too well – should we follow their example?

I say no. I’d ban all new faith schools and educate the kids TOGETHER

[WasdaleLad], Newcastle, United Kingdom

Richard, It is people like you who misunderstand the Bible that gives it a stange outlook.

Like it or not, this is a Christian country. - of sorts.

Emanuel-Charles Spiteri

Religion - based on 'belief' or 'faith'. Should it rather mean 'no basis in fact'. What all religions boil down to is a 'belief' in the supernatural. People follow religion as an emotional crutch.
Life is hard - then you die! Live with it.

Paul Cartwright, Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Rapprochement between multiple faiths may be neither possible nor desirable. There is something deep in religious belief that divides people and amplifies societal conflict. The toxic mix of religion and tribalism has become so dangerous as to justify taking seriously the alternative view, that humanism based on science and secularism is the effective antidote, the light and the way at last placed before us.

Nikhil, Watford

A secular Britain would lead to a less fractured society. The faith of individuals is a private matter and the right to individual faith should be strongly defended. However, organised belief should not be allowed to interfere both politically and morally in any society that believes in democracy and equal opportunity. Why is it that the views of atheists and agnostics are ignored despite being such a large grouping?

Chairman Al

Yes, religion is lifestyle choice.You are not born with it, you are in most cases 'baptised' into it. The recent furore over veils is a prime example of the kind of nonsense we end up with when these religions produce rules for their followers which in turn are open to all kinds of interpretations. Most people want to live their lives as they see fit. We 'non religious' citizens don't want religion at any level but don't deny others from having it. The state should not be involved. End of.

Eddie Appleby, London, United Kingdom

"Quite simply put, this country was a better place to live when it was a Christian country.

Thom, Oxford "

Hmm, unless you had pagan beliefs of course. Then you were the spawn of Satan and were burned at the stake. Nice.

Jennifer, London

To Richard - Lucky for you that you can express your atheism in a "free" society. We wear crosses to remember Christ's sacrifice for us all, not worship it. We don't force people to wear them either a la veils etc.
By the way, I have read the Koran - thats why I am still a Christian.

Jelks45, Bristol

Even if you follow a religion, it is changing/adapt or 'die'. Church of England, at Schools, Cub Scouts, Sunday school. 1970-76 mostly St Matthews Church in Brixton, which slowly 'adapted' . Some traditional services, and some to cater for different cultures arriving in the area. (Known by the minority as 'Happy Clappy') Couldn't get used to the Evangalists really liked the Gospel services . Now it is no longer a church, it seems to be a nightclub (started in the Crypt when I was there)

colin bartlett, abingdon, oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Religion has a proper place in society. Without the values that come from the proper formation of conscience within the context of an absolute and loving God, society cannot function...
Without this 'anything goes' and our society will descend into chaos.

- Rebecca Clemenz, Zurich, Switzerland

Really? Examples, please. Anyway, what does this have to do with secularism? Everyone is free to have their own personal religion in a secular state. Secularism and atheism are not the same thing.

Gavin, Stroud

All religions have a life view distorted by their beliefs, good governance can only come from thoes with an un coloured view. religion is a millstone around the neck of a twenty first centry society trying to govern for now not 2000 years ago.

Tim Roberts, Weston Super Mare

I find it extremely hard to understand that people can put so much faith into something that has no evidence whatsoever that it exists. Show me the undoubted proof that any of the gods accross any of the religions exist, and I would find it a whole lot easier to understand all the suffering which each religion is undergoing these days. People are being killed or opressed, and there's no evidence to suggest on any sides that it's justified !

Alex Hurrell, Brighouse, West Yorkshire

Ask any person in this country whether they would put this country before their own religion and the only people who would say yes are the aethesists!
A secular state where religion is tolerated only if it is kept as a personal belief is the only way forward! Let's be equally intollerant to all religions!
Religious clerics preaching anything but their religious faith would be stopped (This applies equally to the Archbishop of Canterbury as it does to a Mullah in Woking or Regents Park)!

chris, london

These are the replies from the first page! How refreshing! The vast majority seem to want Britain to become a secular nation!

With all the petulant kicking off religion is doing, all the damage it is causing, people are moving even more towards secularism...

uscitizen
10-27-2006, 08:17 AM
People need to learn that their particular faith or lack thereof is a totally seperate issue from the workings of a country or even day to day life in that country. Or at least it should be this way, it is not in many places and that causes problems. Religion is a personal thing not a governmental or business thing.